ied again, desperate. "Do you

? The guy who delivers the paintings to t

to say he had the soul of a poet! Y

"Silas, stop joking. He's not

g eyes with Charls again. "My

d by Franklin, Eve's father. They stoppe

ng on?" Huld

st telling Silas that we don't need to hide it anymor

d. She saw the confusion on Charls's face, the pan

smelled blood in the

?" Huldah s

rd, panic rising in his chest. "I n

her voice faltering.

ghtening in his chest. "I... I have to ask

s flying to her mout

and and practically dragged her into the ha

ent the door closed. "She thinks we're e

ked calmly, smoo

e! We are competito

ou saved her life last night. You've b

argued, though his ears turned red. "

t the optics. I've already leaked the engagement rumors to the Journal. Wiley stock is up 4% this morning because people think a merger is coming. If you announce it was just

n closed it. She was right.

just until she recovers... Franks Enterprises might be willi

hat was a fifty-mill

our daughter for profit?

ted. "And if it helps us both... why not? Pl

itting up, telling her father something with a bright, animat

ning a hand th

ut only until she gets her

Huldah

k in. Eve looke

" she

t tight and unnatural on his

yes," Ch

and grabbed his hand-the one

Charls hiss

ssed his knuckles. "I'

own saliva. "Don't...

t?" Eve

ofessional,"

don't have to be professional." Sh

feeling the warmth of her skin against his h

hat for the first time in years, he wasn't thinking abo